


One Early Morning

by thatluckyrabbit



Category: Epic Mickey
Genre: Dreams, Established Relationship, F/M, Five Stages of Grief, Married Couple, Post First Game, Post-Series, Self-Acceptance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 13:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4962460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatluckyrabbit/pseuds/thatluckyrabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oswald and Ortensia talk one early morning after the lucky rabbit has a dream about their late creator.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Early Morning

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few days ago and forgot to post it, so here you all go! More Os/Tensia fluff that I couldn't resist since OTP X3
> 
> Not much to say about this one, other than the fact it also takes place after EM1, after Mickey's back in the cartoon world. So yeah, other than that, not much else to say!

 

_"...Dad...?"_   
  
_A hand rests on his cheek, and his blurry eyes finally settle clearly on the face smiling down at him. The hand is comforting and fills him with warmth that floods his chest in ways he hadn't felt in years._   
  
_Walt starts to speak, soft spoken words, surely, but Oswald can't make out what he's saying. But that was okay, because even just seeing him again now is all he needs to feel at peace. And while he can't hear what Walt is saying, he knows the words are filled with love and encouragement and everything he's only dreamed of hearing for years since being torn away from him._   
  
_He feels sleepy staring at him now, but he does not cry. He just smiles back at his creator and leans into the much bigger hand resting on his cheek. He shuts his eyes. For a single moment, all those fears of his—that he wasn't good enough, that he'd been abandoned—cease to exist._   
  
_"Dad..."_   
  


* * *

  
  
"Oswald?" That hand was on his cheek, but it felt smaller. It was still warm to the touch, though. "Sweetie?"  
  
"Huh...?" He groaned, opening his eyes just a sliver. Oswald saw his wife's beautiful face peering down at him. After a moment of adjusting his eyes and willing himself fully awake, he smiled up at her. "Hey. Did I wake you up?" He didn't know what time it was, but he worried briefly that he'd woken he up somehow. Was he sleep talking again?   
  
"No," Ortensia said with a gentle smile. She leaned down to kiss him, which he happily returned. When she pulled away, she didn't look concerned at all. "I mean, you were talking in your sleep, but I don't think you were having a nightmare."  
  
"It wasn't, yeah." Oswald sat up, giving a stretch as he yawned. "Just a regular dream... Haven't had those for a while." Most of his dreams—nightmares, really—involved the exact opposite of what had happened in his current dream. It mostly involved being ripped away from Walt, or seeing Walt and Lillian together with a newly drawn Mickey, where Oswald knew he should have been instead. Other nightmares involved losing Ortensia, but those ones faded away the more he got used to having her in his arms again. Many of his nightmares had slowly came to a halt overtime, and maybe it had to do with his brother coming to Wasteland and helping to save it, and helping Oswald to realize that what had happened to him in the human world—being ripped away from Walt, forgotten and losing his wife—wasn't Mickey's fault whatsoever. Getting to know his brother made him accept that things happened for a reason... and he figured his dream had said a lot about that. "It was actually... nice."  
  
And almost as if Ortensia had read his mind (she almost always knew exactly what he was thinking, or at least was on the same thinking pattern as him), she brought up the same point he had just realized for himself. "I know it was about Walt... I could hear you saying 'Dad', only this time it was peaceful. You weren't crying out, you were gently saying his name over and over... and I bet getting to know Mickey might have something to do with that."  
  
Oswald smiled, taking her hand in his. "You always know exactly what I'm thinking."  
  
"Well I'm glad I don't have to tell you twice that it was because of your brother," she replied jokingly, running her thumb over the back of his hand. "I think for you, knowing that Mickey was never the cause for us ending up here altered your dreams for the better. Seeing Walt again is your mind's way of telling you that he did love you and always had. Getting to know Mickey made you realize that."  
  
Oswald was quiet, but he thoughtfully stared at their hands and the way Ortensia's thumb ran across the back of his hand in a soothing manner. She was right and he knew it. "Yeah... but a part of me likes to think that, as stupid as it sounds... maybe Dad was actually talking to me. Somehow."  
  
Ortensia was never the type to disprove any theory of her husband's (unless it was something far fetched and ridiculous like some of his plans could be, or like when he'd accuse Mickey constantly back in the day), but this was something that could _possibly_ be true. Possibly. The bond between a creator and their creation was one that was still a mystery to many. It exceeded any normal blood bond and was far more powerful than any magic in the world, but the laws of such a bond were still a mystery to every toon and their respective creators. Oswald and Mickey had that special bond with Walt, they were both like sons to him (making them as one—as _brothers_ ), so Ortensia could only guess that Mickey must have had the same dreams about Walt as well. And she knew that Mickey would have said the same thing: that it felt like Walt spoke to him directly and personally.   
  
So Ortensia just smiled, giving Oswald's hand a gentle squeeze. "I think you might be right, hunny bunny. He's always loved you as much as Mickey, and whether it was just your mind realizing that or Walt actually speaking to you... At least you know now that he loved you and always will, wherever he is now." His eyes lifted to meet hers and her smile widened. "Besides, I think Mickey would agree. For all we know, he could have had similar dreams too. And if so, it could be Walt trying to let you know he'll always be there."  
  
At the mention of his brother, which would have made him scoff or cringe before, Oswald grinned. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised." His grin faltered slightly, remembering his brother and how they'd held their hands up to that mirror—the last time Oswald had seen him since. How perfectly they mirrored each other, physically and personality wise. They were always meant to be brothers, and in some ways it felt as though Walt would have wanted that. Maybe that was how he'd always wanted it to be, even if he couldn't get the rights to his first creation back. Mickey was Oswald's other half in terms of what kept them bonded to Walt. The way human brothers are bonded by blood, they were bonded by ink and the imagination of a single man that had changed many lives with his creations.   
  
Oswald's grin slipped from his face completely when he thought of something; something that had been bothering him for a while now. "You think that maybe... we'll see him again?"  
  
Ortensia stared at him and figured out who he meant. "Mickey?"  
  
The rabbit nodded, but didn't speak.   
  
And that was the thing: Ortensia wasn't sure about Mickey; if they _would_ see him again. But maybe... "It depends..."  
  
"Depends on what?" He asked quietly.   
  
"If Yen Sid needs his help again." Ortensia glanced down at their hands, connected together in a simple way—one of many physical signs of affections she missed from her husband when she was inert. "If _we_ need his help again."   
  
Despite how rather solemn the topic was, Oswald couldn't keep the sarcastic tone from his voice. "I wonder when that will be?"   
  
Ortensia giggled softly at that. "Well I'm hoping it won't be anything too drastic or life threatening next time! But even if it is... at least we know we can count on him. And you." She met Oswald's eyes again, and he could see a twinkle there. "You two would make a great team. If anything happens, this whole kingdom and myself... we can count on you both to set things right. Together."  
  
"Yeah..." Oswald started thoughtfully. "You're right. I wonder what kinda tag team we'd make, what with his paintbrush and my brains and my good looks and my quick thinking, I'm sure we'd be unstoppable."  
  
"Oh you're so modest, hunny bun," she giggled, leaning in to kiss him again (she found she couldn't resist to kiss him anymore—she was constant with them, and he was always pleased to return each and every one). "I have to admit, Mickey's pretty cute too. Walt made some cute boys." She hoped he wouldn't burst at that, but surprisingly he just laughed along.   
  
"I guess good looks run in the family then," Oswald joked. "But as long as I don't have to worry about any competition..."  
  
"What competition? I'm married to you, silly!" She kissed him again. When she pulled away, she pressed her forehead against his.   
  
Oswald brought his hand up and rested it on her cheek. "I know." He started to stroke her cheek in small circles with his thumb as he stared into her eyes. "I love you, you know that?"  
  
Ortensia smiled at him, resting her hand over his. "I love you, too."  
  
Oswald never doubted that for a single second. And he'd been resting so much easier knowing that he'd made amends and formed a close bond with his long lost brother, who in the long run helped him realize that their father always loved him too. He may not have had a heart and the love of millions anymore, but he did have the love of a wife; the love of many of his sons and daughters; and now the love of a brother. A brother who had helped him realize that the love of a father— _their_ father—had always been there and always would be.  
  
And that love was worth more than any fame and recognition could ever give him.  


End file.
